Brain injuries may age the brain

People in Florida who sustain brain injuries often suffer from a range of secondary conditions. According to a doctor from Imperial College London, inflammation in the brain after a brain injury could lead to other conditions that could cause further brain damage later on. Some researchers believe that brain injuries may even lead to the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

A recent study that was published in the April edition of the Annals of Neurology is pointing to brain injuries as a contributing factor in the premature aging of some people’s brains. After looking at the brain scans of 99 people who had sustained a traumatic brain injury and then comparing those scans to healthy people’s brains, researchers concluded that the injured brains looked an average of five years older than their actual age.

The brain scans that were analyzed in the study were taken anywhere from one month to 46 years after they had sustained an injury. According to researchers, these brains displayed certain changes in their structure that made them look like the brains of older people. Researchers are reportedly planning to do another study in which they estimate healthy people’s “brain age” as a way to predict their likelihood of developing neurodegenerative diseases.

A person who has sustained a brain injury as a result of medical malpractice may be able to claim some financial compensation from the liable parties. An attorney may be able to help a brain injured person to gather evidence to support their claim. Victims may be able to claim reimbursement for current and future medical expenses as well as compensation for their lifelong impairment.